Inchoate Solo

Jan clutched his ticket nervously, staring at the solid brick wall. His heart raced as he watched the other families strode through confidently, but he hesitated. What if it didn’t work? He could already imagine the amused looks of the strangers around him. Worse still, what if the letter from Hogwarts had been some cruel joke?

“No, don’t think like that,” he whispered, shaking his head. Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders, gritted his teeth, and broke into a run. The moment before impact, he braced for pain, but it never came. Instead, a cool, tingling sensation rippled over him, as though he had plunged into water. Then, just as quickly, it was gone, and he stumbled forward, greeted by a sight that took his breath away.

The station seemed to glow in the morning light, the arched glass roof above casting golden beams onto the scarlet engine of what it seems to be the Hogwarts Express, billowing clouds of steam into the crisp morning air while the shrill whistle echoed. Families hugged, students chattered excitedly, and the air was filled with owls hooting and cats meowing, their cages stacked atop the trolleys.

Jan broke into a grin before glancing over his shoulder, catching sight of his mother, who had the same reaction as him upon entering through the barrier of the platform. For the first time since receiving his letter, the reality of it all sank in. Janosch Dehoff wasn’t just some ordinary boy anymore, he is now a wizard from a part of this world—the wizarding world.